That one time Yamaguchi got it wrong when it came to Tsukishima
by Mean Little Lemon
Summary: Yamaguchi is worried for his best friend. Yachi doesn't know what exactly is the best thing to say. Tsukishima has no clue in how much of a big trouble he probably is and Kuroo is happy that he gets to eat pancakes.


Yamaguchi once wondered how long it took for Tsukki to start disliking somebody. He'd thought that despite his best friend's outward reactions, it was probably a process that took a little longer than just merely a few seconds and involved said person making a whole bunch of mistakes that would just lead the blond to thinking he'd been right in assuming the worst.

Who was he kidding, it was pretty much an instantaneous response Tsukki had to anything that was [+human].

'Maybe you shouldn't worry that much.', Yachi told him softly, taking a sip of her orange juice.

Yamaguchi groaned, slumping on the table dramatically, a mass of long limbs and worry. Yachi's hand shot out and barely saved his cup of hot chocolate, fumbling to set it back on the table with its content intact. She heaved a sigh of relief when she didn't spill anything, grateful that their grumpy waitress wasn't there to glare daggers at them. Meanwhile, Yamaguchi was probably trying to imitate a dying whale, if she were to judge by the sounds he was making. It had already drawn the attention of the other few customers in the café.

'I think that Tsukishima-kun is going to be fine. Just because he hasn't found anyone so far doesn't mean he never will.' She tried again.

Yamaguchi made that dubious sound once more and raised his head with difficulty as if the whole world were trying to keep it glued to the table. He shot his girlfriend a tired look and after a few moments sighed for the hundredth time and resumed the position of a normal human being, shoulders slightly hunched.

'You have no idea how many times I've told myself that. Tsukki's mind is programmed to simply assume the worst- if not of himself, then of everybody else. He just rejects any person who gets close and is not willing to make an effort because he is afraid he'll get hurt. ' Sigh number one hundred and one. 'I just want him to be happy. He's an amazing person once you get over the bitter, fuck-off exterior he religiously puts on every morning.'

Yachi tried to hide her laughter behind her hand. 'He'd strangle you if he were to hear this.'

Yamaguchi leaned over the table and whispered dramatically. 'Precisely. My life is in your hands right now.'

Karasuno's former manager bit her lip to try and control the genuine smile threatening to tear her face from how forceful it was. She placed the eraser part of her pencil on Yamaguchi's forehead and gently pushed him back before her heart imploded. The freckled boy smiled sheepishly, pink slightly dusting his cheeks.

His expression fell the next second as he picked up his previous train of thought. 'My best friend is going to end up a perpetually cranky, sad and lonely old-man whose sole purpose in life is to throw his slippers out of the window at overly happy people.'

Yachi added a few more lines to her sketch, clearly trying to focus on her assignment and not on cranky old men using slippers as death projectiles.

'You just imagined it, didn't you?' the green-haired boy couldn't help teasing.

'I did.' she admitted and placed her pencil down. 'Now the image won't leave my head.'

They both simultaneously heaved a sigh, leaping into a meditative silence, Yamaguchi thinking of his best friend and Yachi trying to magically conjure the image of the logo she was supposed to be designing. The latter was having no such luck so she simply gave up for the day and put her things in her bag, not wanting the sight of them to remind her just how behind she was with this assignment. And the rest of them. Probably her life in general.

Yamaguchi was busy building entire scenarios in his mind. Cranky, old and lonely Tsukki against the police. Cranky, old and lonely Tsukki against the nurse trying to take care of him. Cranky, old and lonely Tsukki against-

'You know,' Yachi began, her hesitant voice bringing him out of it, 'I've always thought that Tsukishima-kun had a thing for Kuroo-san.'

Yamaguchi was just taking a sip of his beverage. He choked.

'Would it be that odd?' the girl asked after continuously patting him on the back for three full minutes.

Yamaguchi took a deep breath of air, trying to regain control of his bodily functions. 'The image of _Tsukki_ having a thing for anyone was too much for my brain. I imagined it, but at the same time I can't actually imagine it- him liking someone like _that_ , and Kuroo-san no less.'

'Why not him? They've always seemed close to me…in a way.' Yachi frowned, her mind focusing on snippets of past memories.

'If I am to think about it, Tsukki didn't exactly dislike Kuroo-san that strongly from the very beginning, but it seems to me like his attitude towards him has been constant. No, I can't picture it. I just can't. Tsukki always looks like he contemplates various ways of killing Kuroo-san whenever I ask him if they met on campus. He never says why though. I think Kuroo-san simply takes too much pleasure in riling him up.'

Yachi hummed, watching her boyfriend's long fingers shred a napkin.

'I am mostly afraid that he feels lonely and doesn't tell me. We no longer stay together, so we don't meet that often anymore. What if he learnt to hide it from me? What if I am turning out to be a lousy best friend? What if- '

She inserted a ( _ironically_ ) strawberry shortcake into his mouth before his thoughts went on a really depressing path.

'I think you are a wonderful friend, Tadashi-kun. But I …I also think you should trust Tsukishima-kun a bit more.'

Yamaguchi chewed thoughtfully, reaching over the table to take her hand in his, oblivious to her violent blushing. His little gestures of affection were a thing that would probably always take her by surprise.

(A very pleasant surprise.)

'Do you mind if I call him now to see how he's doing? It's 11:30, he should be up by now.' He didn't let go of her hand.

'Sure.' Yachi smiled, the blush slowly receding from her cheeks.

Yamaguchi pulled out his phone from the pocket of his jeans and dialed his best friend's number. He frowned when Tsukki didn't respond immediately. The phone just kept ringing. What on earth was he doing? His phone was practically stuck to his hand 24/7, even while charging.

He didn't get to mentally comment more, because Tsukki's bored voice greeted him.

'Yes, Yamaguchi.'

Yamaguchi could hear various sounds in the background.

'Tsukki! How are you doing? Are you cooking something?'

'…um, yes. I am making pancakes.' Tsukki replied, slightly lowering his voice. He didn't seem to be focusing very well.

'Do you want me to close so you can focus on the pancakes?'

'No, it's fine. I'll just put you on speaker.'

They made casual conversation only that it wasn't the same as normal. Tsukki seemed a bit distracted which was unusual, to say the least. From the moment he woke up, Tsukki always maintained an annoyingly high amount of concentration, even if he'd been buried for hours in essays and projects. It was truly an abominable thing. Yamaguchi frowned some more under the curious watch of Yachi. At one point he was simply listening to the sounds of pancakes being done, thinking that Tsukki may have forgotten about him.

And then he heard something _very_ interesting. The sounds of another person entering the room. Clothes shuffling and then a rough voice saying 'Hey'. It sounded oddly familiar.

'Hey.' Tsukki replied. The reply was relaxed, the kind of reply he reserved for family and friends.

Tsukki had so forgotten about Yamaguchi. The latter had clamped a hand on his mouth to prevent himself from screaming. Yachi was growing worried and confused at the same time, not knowing what state to choose.

Yamaguchi knew for sure that his friend was living alone and had no intention of getting a roommate so -

Who. Was. That.

'Mmm, you're making pancakes.' the overly familiar voice remarked, pleasant surprise colouring it.

'I would be more successful if you weren't clinging to me like an oversized ape.'

….Clinging?

'So mean, Tsukki.'

….Tsukki?

'Don't blame me if you get a hot pan in the face. Completely unintentional of course.'

The other voice gave a low chuckle. 'You should be nicer to me, you know. Especially since I have access to this nice area of your neck.'

Yamaguchi heard Tsukki's sharp intake of breath and the unmistakable sounds of lips pressing small kisses.

'Kuroo, stop that.'

His brain went into shock. So that's why the voice seemed familiar.

He felt the moment when the blond remembered that he'd had company over the phone before. The realization was made known with a clear 'Shit.'

'What?' the other person said. 'Oh. Were you talking with someone on the phone? Is it Freckles?'

Tsukishima was quiet. The other person took a bit longer to realize why. 'Oh.', it said.

Oh in-fucking-deed. He could have had a quiet morning with his girlfriend instead of being sick-worried for his _presumably_ lonely best friend. To think that he'd almost asked Yachi to let Tsukki live in the attic of their future house. He owned Yachi a thousand glasses of orange juice.

'Umm, I'll explain later, Yamaguchi.' Tsukki said eventually, not knowing how to deal with the situation. More like hoping to avoid it for as long as possible.

Yamaguchi was taking no shit.

'Oh, you _**will**_.'


End file.
